


The Party

by the_icesalamander



Category: La Passe-Miroir | The Mirror Visitor - Christelle Dabos
Genre: Gen, Pre-Canon, Thorn's POV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-08
Updated: 2020-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:08:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23067502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_icesalamander/pseuds/the_icesalamander
Summary: Thorn attends a banquet and it goes as well as usual. Takes place a few years before the first book.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 40





	The Party

204 bottles of red wine, from Babel; 210 bottles of red wine from the Star, cinnamon flavoured; 148 bottles of champagne from Serenissima, classic flavour; 50 bottles of champagne from Anima, chestnut flavour.

_Freya bringing him chestnuts when he is 5. It’s a summer day. She has just lost her first milk tooth and speaks with a lisp._

199 boxes of oranges; 180 boxes of living snails, 21 snails escaped during the transport from the hangar, 30 snails escaped during the party, 12 snails have been stepped on, 1 snail is crawling on Count Harold’s shoes.

“How dare you! You have no right…”

The snail has left slime on the Mirage’s shoes.

_His aunt asking him to buy new shoes for his promotion as the Assistant of the Treasurer._

23:42.

207 boxes of caviar; 203 boxes of quail eggs; 201 boxes of sugared peanuts;

“…to talk to a man in my rank like that! You…”

It should have been 200 boxes each of those, he has to write complaints; ask whether to return the unnecessary amount or pay extra for them; has to request: 2 boxes of champagne from Serenissima, classic flavour; 1 box of oranges; 20 boxes of living snails, make sure that the snails delivered properly this time.

_His aunt forcing him to try the snails during the last party, two days ago. They taste like nothing, so little meat for so much money, other people on Pole are starving… How he despises these aristocrats._

“You are nothing but a bastard! Do you hear me? A bastard!”

 _Godfrey calling him a bastard while holding him down…_ No. Do not think about that.

The snail on the Count’s shoes was crawling its way up. Thorn wondered at how much the snail’s grey colour matched the colour of the trousers.

“The snail is matching,” he said.

Count Harold was looking at him with complete bewilderment. He hadn’t noticed the snail yet. Not a very attentive person.

He will have to order an extra 50 boxes of oranges. _They are in fashion, says his aunt._ 51 boxes of oranges.

23:43.

“The snail on your trousers,” he said.

Count Harold noticed the snail. His face turned into an angry red and he threw his glass of wine at Thorn.

Do not lose control over your claws. Do not lose control over your claws. Do not lose control over your claws. Do not lose control over your claws.

He could feel the wine dipping from his hair. His shirt had one long red stain and many small stains. 52 small stains.

Do not lose control over your claws.

 _His shirt is covered with red stains where the claws of his family reach him…_ No. Do not think about that.

Do not lose control over your claws.

The laughter of the aristocrats filled the hall.

Do not lose control over your claws.

23:45.

He turned to leave. He had to dry his hair.

23:45.

He had to attend the banquet at 0:00. He didn’t have the time to change into a different shirt. His aunt was already preparing for the play which accompanied the banquet, she would be disappointed if he didn’t attend. He was going to be ridiculed the whole night.

23:46.

He dried his hair with a piece of napkin. He couldn’t do anything about the stains on his shirt.

The details of the previous moment filled his mind through his Memory. _Archibald laughing so hard that he has fallen off the chair. His sisters giggling behind their fans. Godfrey calling their grandfather’s attention to him, even though he can barely speak through his laughter. Freya smiling triumphantly, her hands laying on her pregnant belly._ _Count Harold calling him bastard. The Lord Treasurer can’t decide whether to enjoy his humiliation or feel ashamed to have this associated with the Treasury._

23:47.

“Mr. Vice Treasurer?”

23:47.

“Mr. Vice Treasurer, may I offer some assistance?”

It was the Baron Melchior. The fattest Mirage Thorn had ever known. Also Minister of Style and Elegance. The most pointless title he had ever heard. The baron was wearing a suit covered with black butterflies, which flapped their wings in a disturbingly lifelike manner. The claret colour of his gloves matched the stain on the shirt as he laid a hand on Thorn’s chest.

Thorn did not like illusions. The stain disappeared under Melchior’s hand but the uncomfortable cold of the wet fabric stayed behind.

“What do you want?” he asked when Melchior hadn’t stated his actual purpose.

The Baron Melchior had only one current case with the Treasury; no fines to be paid; no new properties to be taxed; no enquiries; no legal actions against him, but he requested the tax-free import of a new type of silk from Serenissima. Thorn was ready to tell him that he did not care, just as he had done with Count Harold’s request earlier.

“I merely wished to offer my assistance as a master of textile illusions, Mr. Vice Treasurer.”

“I’m just an assistant.” The Treasurer made sure that Thorn always remembered that.

“Ah no, Mr. Thorn! Your official title is Vice Treasurer, and I would never be so impolite as not to use it.”

“You just called me Mr. Thorn.”

The baron seemed to be surprised into silence but he quickly recovered his manners.

“My deepest apologies, Mr. Vice Treasurer! I had no intention of sounding overly familiar.” After a moment’s pause he continued, “I have also added a small glamour to your hair, it is now clean and most fashionable.”

Thorn did not want to know what “most fashionable” meant.

23:57.

“I’m late,” he said.

“Oh no! How absolutely terrible!” The baron looked as if he truly meant that. “Please do not wait for me Mr. Vice Treasurer, I am certain you do not wish to miss the performance of the lovely Madam Berenilde…” Thorn didn’t wait for him to finish.

The disappointment on the faces, as he stepped into the hall looking completely presentable, made him feel almost grateful to the Baron Melchior. 

**Author's Note:**

> I've only read the first two books so far, so please no spoilers. Also I read them in German so if any of the names are slightly off, it's because I forgot to check the translation...


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